I definitely agree that the actual set looks different to what I would have expected if I went off the renders + sample photos alone.
The base colour is definitely slightly yellower than what I would have expected. I think I would have preferred something a little more tan / cream. The set I have in front of me currently doesn't quite evoke the feeling of aged paper / manuscript.
The legends are definitely less vibrant than in the renders. There's nowhere near the level of contrast between the different colours and the physical keys don't have the same impact that the renders do.
That said - I want to be clear, I am super happy with this set. I think that the key is expectations. Milky Way doesn't have a reputation for fantastic colour matching / dye-sub. I didn't buy this expecting it to come out like the renders - I was always happy to accept a pretty wide variation in physical appearance.
For me, this set was an easy buy because a) the design is unique and fantastic - you can tell that a lot of work has gone into it and there's nothing else in the hobby like it, b) it was very well priced, and c) Dede's got a good reputation for running solid GBs and I trusted him not to ship utter garbage.
This is a great keyset. It's not something I'll put on a super high end board, but I've got it on a wooden minivan currently and I reckon the colours go fantastically with the wood - the browns of the alpha legends match the wood nearly perfectly. The unique legends are awesome and in-and-of-themselves are just super nice to look at. It's a great set.